Thighs Wide Shut

You’ve Reached the Office of Stuart Ullman

by George Jenne

so tell me again Stanley, why did you have to die?

–

So Tell Me Again, Why Did You Have To Die? Part I

So Tell Me Again, Why Did You Have To Die? Part II

So Tell Me Again, Why Did You Have To Die? Part III

So Tell Me Again, Why Did You Have To Die? Part IV

So Tell Me Again, Why Did You Have To Die? Part V

So Tell Me Again, Why Did You Have To Die? Part VI

Stanley Kubrick directs Philip Stone (Delbert Grady) on the set of The Shining

Filmworker
Kubrick’s Right AND Left Hand Man
Official Site | Trailers & Mo
Not Rated | 94 min

Leon Vitali was once an actor on the up and up.  He was the prissy Lord Bullingdon in Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon, and after working with the director, he wanted to work for him, and did, FOR LIFE!  AND BEYOND KUBRICK’S LIFE!!! 

Most people would give their left testicle to have worked with Stanley, and Vitali did (and gave up acting to do so), and he also gave his right testicle and every other appendage to be his right hand man from The Shining til Eyes Wide Shut, and everything in between – including all the unrealized projects, and minutia that came from Kubrick’s direct demanding demeanor  

Sounds like the most amazing job of all time, right?  Amazing, if you don’t like having a life, or a moment to sleep, or yourself.  Such was and IS Vitali’s life – that of a Filmworker, the title of the doc by Tony Zierra that is a BEYOND MUST SEE for anyone that’s a fan of Kubrick and his work (which I would assume is 100% of people who have ever seen a motion picture)

Besides the wonderful reflections and insight from Vitali himself, we get a lot of great additional tidbits from those who worked with both Leon and Stanley (and watched Leon suffer for Stanley and his art), from the UK Warner Bros staff, to Lyndon co-star Ryan O’Neal, the rarely seen or interviewed Danny from The Shining, Full Metal Jacket‘s Matthew Modine, newly dearly departed R. Lee Ermey, and the poor guy who had Ermey’s drill sergeant role before losing it to him - Tim Colceri (HEARTBREAKING!!!).  Not sure what the point of interviewing Phil Rosenthal was or the other people who didn’t seem to have a connection were, but lets just assume Zierra couldn’t get Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Tom Cruise or Nicole Kidman to sit down with him and chat

Kubrick didn’t make it to the 21st century, but his legacy lives on and his presence STILL looms large thanks to Leon Vitali.  No one outside of his family knew him and his work better than perhaps Vitali did.  When one of Stan’s films need to be restored or re-released, Leon’s the guy they call on, cause that’s the guy Kubrick called on.  Vitali = vital, like this doc

Also, had ZERO idea he was the dude in the red cloak with that awesomely scratchy voice in Eyes Wide Shut (along with the 2833128238 other jobs he had on and off set)!!!  EYES WIDE OPEN!!!

Verdictgo: Breast In Show

Filmworker works it in limited release – SEE IT!!!

and until next thyme the balcony is clothed…

(Warner Bros., 1971) Original designer’s proof sweater, made in the UK by Mike Ross, known as ‘The Ritva Man’, with a 35” chest, size small. Made exclusively for Stanley Kubrick to commemorate his film for only the most important cast and crew members, this extremely limited sweater features an Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) appliqué, droog eyeball patches on right and left sleeves, a RITVA MAN tag and the number “1” embroidered in the collar. There is also a handwritten tag reading, “Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick, HAWK FILMS, designers proof , 1/3, Edition of 30, 1972 MR (Mike Ross)”

Any surviving example of this rare artifact would be extraordinary, let alone the #1 artist’s proof in unused, unhandled condition with virtually no signs of aging. Besides this Kubrick commission, Ross designed specially made sweaters for The Rolling Stones and other major celebrities, and he and his wife Ritva Ross are credited with such fashion innovations as the knitted mini-dress. Their work, sold from a boutique in Chelsea, is heavily influenced by popular culture and contemporary art, and they collaborated with David Hockney, Allen Jones, and others of the time. According to a key Kubrick production team member, only a handful of these sweaters were actually produced and presented, not the entire edition of 30 as planned. One of the most iconic and exceptional artifacts from a unique synchronicity of talents

[icollector via The Vault of Retro Sci-Fi]